{ Verily, ALLAH does not change the condition of people until they change what is within themselves.} Sura ar-Ra`d 13:11 { Lo! ALLAH changeth not the condition of folk until they (first) change that which is in their hearts.} Sura ar-Ra`d 13:11 Pickthall 1. How To Change ~ : 1a. Short Answer: Through keeping to the Sunnah of the Prophet 1b. Explanation: The question is how do we know that our intention is pure? For only a pure intention will direct us in the right direction. It is certainly not enough to pretend or to put into our head that it is. How can someone claim this, when he doesnt even know if what he sees at night is a dream - or reality! We are blind (at least in spiritual matters - and this is the essential) and fast asleep. And there is a grievous event approaching. (Sura 62-8) Why did the Prophet have to say: “All people are asleep; and they wake up only when they die!” if this wasnt the case? In sleep the person has no (or very few) ways to control himself, he does need spiritual guidance leading him on the path to Allah swt. 1c. What To Look For So for changing ’what is within ourselves’ we first need to know what it is we are looking for, when referring to the ’within ourselves’ or ’our souls’. These are all subtle, invisible, abstract but real things, which are all known to us intuitively. Jealousy, hatred, greed, etc. are invisibly hidden in the souls, but the effects of those traits - if not stopped - are devastating. More often than not people are caught in those devilish snares and have no hope of being freed from it, while they mistake their Condition for their essential self, which of course it is not. Therefore we need the guidance of Allah - and in extension the guidance of a special, accomplished being, who is the Prophet and further the guidance of those learned and experienced “doctors of the souls”, who know the dangers of the path, because they themselves have trodden on it - and still doing it - on the path of the wayfarer toward ( the knowledge of ) Allah. 1 1d. To know the (tricks of the) soul is a duty ( fard `ayn ): Therefore as An-Nawawi (rahimahu-LLah ), explained in al- Majmua “as for the knowledge of the heart, it is knowing the diseases of the heart, such as envy, conceit and the like.” Imam al-Ghazali ( rahimahu-LLah ) said: “Knowing the definition of these diseases, their causes and their cures, and remedies how to fix them, is personally obligatory (fard ayn) on every Muslim.“ 1e. A Further Point In Case In this context a saying: If ye knew Allah as He ought to be known, ye would walk on the seas, and the mountains would move at your call. ﻟﻮﻋﺮﻓﺘﻢ ﺍﻟﻠﻪ ﺣﻖ ﻣﻌﺮﻓﺘﻪ ﻟﻤﺸﻴﺘﻢ ﻋﻠﻲ ﺍﻟﺒﺤﻮﺭ ﻭ ﺯﺍﻟﺖ ﺑﺪﻋﺎ ﻛﻢ ﺍﻟﺠﺒﺎﻝ The gist of this is supported by the following quranic verse: { They measure not Allah His rightful measure. } 22-74 Allah says further: { I have only created Jinns and men, that they may serve Me.} (51-56) And you cannot serve the one you dont know; you have to know the one you serve: You have to have gnosis (ma`rifah ) of Allah swt; so you have to strive for knowledge of Allah (al-hikmah al-iláhiyyah ), while serving Him! And you serve Him in a way which has been shown to the community of the faithful ( ummah ) by the guide par excellence: the Prophet Muhammad . This knowledge of Allah (swt) you cannot achieve, if you dont first of all learn to know (the workings of ) your own soul (nafs ), and the Creator of your soul is none else than Allah (swt), He knows best what is in it! 2a. Correct Intention First of all the sound hadith on the intention before action: Actions are only according to intentions, and to each only what he intended. “The hadith indicates that the intention is a yardstick for making ones actions sound. Only insofar as the intention is correct is the action correct, and insofar as the intention is wrong is the action wrong.” G F Haddad Therefore we must look at each action that we do, or are about to do, and make sure that it will be correct and pleasing to Allah, and to His Prophet : Otherwise we will see that great actions are being made small because of ones intention and vice-versa. This can best be shown by the hadith related by Abu Umama, when once a man came to the Prophet and said, What of a man who joined us in fighting, his intention being for fame and booty? The Prophet said: He receives nothing. The man repeated the question three times, and each time the Prophet said, He receives nothing. Then he said, Allah only accepts actions that are intended purely for His pleasure. (an-Nisai) Now probably the greatest action in our lives (after worship, the 5 pillars of Islam), is purifying our souls - worshipping Allah - realising the teaching of Angel Gibril (aleihi salám) on ihsán - spiritual excellence: To worship Allah as though you see Him, and though you do not see Him, you know that He sees you.” Sahíh al Bukhárí and Sahíh Muslim 2b. Sincerity ( ikhlás ) So if we worship Allah as though we see Him, this will be following the perfect example of the Prophet and it will be the best for purifying our intention. Because for Allah (swt) only what is done purely for Him, will be accepted; ikhlás . { Unquestionably, for Allah is the pure religion. } Sura 39-3 Anas b. Malik reports from the Prophet in a weak, but nevertheless useful (for good deeds - fadáil ) hadith about ikhlás that it is: ’The sincere action for Allah’s sake.’ One of the masters of old 2 said: “Sincerity means, that in your worship 3 your objective is Allah (swt) alone. This means that with your act of worship you only seek the nearness of Allah (swt) and nothing else.” 4 Source: Risálah Al-Qushayrí; 28.2 3. Tafsir Ibn Káthir Explanation of Sura 13:11 Ibn Abi Hatim narrated that Ibrahim said: ”Allah revealed to a Prophet from among the Children of Israel, ’Say to your nation: every people of the village or a house who used to obey Allah but changed their behaviour to disobeying Him, then he would take away from them what they like and exchange it for what they dislike.’” Ibrahim next said that this statement has proof in Allah’s Book: { Verily, ALLAH does not change the condition of people until they change what is within themselves.} Sura ar-Ra`d 13:11 4. Tafsir Muhammed K Bernström {What is within themselves (or what is within their souls.} “This explanation has both a positive and negative meaning: Allah does not withhold His blessings ( barakah ) from people if they havent become corrupted in their inner (compare Sura 8-53 here below), in the same way as He does not bestow His blessings (barakah ) on those who intentionally sin until they change their attitude and so deserve His mercy.” So here Bernström alludes to the “positive aspect” of the interpretation of the verse, and does not stick to its “negative aspect”: When people improve themselves spiritually, purifying themselves through `ibádah (worship) and better following the prophetic Sunnah - then Allah will bestow (more of) His blessings upon them and improve their Condition. “In a wider sense this is an illustration for the - by God given - law of cause and effect (The way of God: Sunnat Allah ), which determines the life of individuals and communities and which lets civilizations progress or decline depending on the moral attitude of their people and their will to change ”what is in themselves” (or ”their mind”).” { Allah would not change a favor which He had bestowed upon a people until they change what is within themselves. } Sura 8-53 5. Tafsir by Yasir Qadhi { Lo! ALLAH changeth not the status of a group (or nation) until they change which is in (each and everyone of) themselves.} Yasir Qadhi: ”The qaum doesnt change until the nafs changes. - Look at the context: the righteous people have guarding angels who protect them (by the permission of Allah from the command of Allah.). - Meaning: a person can be saved - if protected, from a general punishment that Allah has decreed. ” Emphasised is: 1st: Allah looks at the individual, what you have done. You are not responsible for what others are doing. But you will be asked about if you did change y-s. 2nd: Allah does not judge you based on the material success of your efforts (results), but rather merely on your efforts. What did you do, based upon your talents, your time, your energy, your circle of influence - not about what is beyond your control. ”What change can I do? I can change myself. ”If everyone would realise to work within his sphere of influence, a lot of change would in fact happen in society.” ”Everyone has a role to play [in this.]” ”Do what you can to better y-s.” Even if you cant change the world, if you can change y-s you have saved y-s from the hell-fire. ”Make sure you live a righteous, exemplary life.” ”May Allah help us to perfect ourselves, make us of those who live righteous lives and be role models to our family and friends and communities!” [ youtube ] [ Comment 1: It is necessay in this context of efforts to mention niyyah and the (pure) intention (ikhlás). Just making an effort doesnt say anything why we are doing it, what is the motive behind it - self-aggrandisement, showing off? These are some of the traps which Shaytan lays in our ways. ]. 5 [ Comment 2: Although it is good to call people to “change themselves” and “perfect themselves” etc. the Islamic tradition (i.e. Tasawwuf; so-called Sufism) does not content itself with calling. It offers a scientific method for modelling the soul in such a way which will - hopefully and according to the principle of ikhlás - be acceptable on the Day of Jugement, insha Allah! ] (up ch.1c) 6. Tafsir by Abú Turáb Another example of personal interpretation of this verse is reported from Abú Turáb ’Askar b. Husayn an-Nahshábí: ”When Abú Turáb saw something which he didnt approve of, he increased his spiritual (inner) struggle, renewed his tawbah (repentance toward Allah) and said: ’They were misled toward this (thing) by my ruinous behaviour, for Allah says: { Allah does not change anything with a people, until they dont change, what they have with themselves. }’” Source: Risálah Al-Qushayrí; 1,18 7. Two other Tafsir a.) Translation of verse with inset of words in parenthesis, which manipulates the meaning: { Verily, ALLAH does not change the (good) condition of people as long as they do not change their state (of goodness) themselves.} b.) { Verily, ALLAH alters not what is with a people 235 until they236 alter what is in within them 237.} Daryabadi 235: i.e. their state of grace, 236: (themselves) 237: (by constant disobedience) So this is in line with the tafsir above → a.). [see footnotes] Comment: This is interpreted as to only work in one direction: of avoiding a deterioration of the state, or condition of the people, here called Condition. It does not focus on (even ignores) the other direction of improving the Condition. By doing so people who see themselves as the guardians of religion (rightfully or not) will focus most of all on the “negative aspect,” meaning on wanting to prevent people from deteriorating - which is good and meritous, but which has to balanced by the “positive aspect” of the teaching of Islam: encouraging people to improve, always seeing the good element in people, thinking the positive, healthy direction with kindness and understanding of the context, finding excuses, hiding faults. The human Condition will be improved (bi-idhni-LLahi ) by constant obedience to the commands of Allah: keeping away from falsehood, shameful behaviour, sloth, indifference, egotism, materialism, nihilism, greed, jealousy, love for power, ignorance etc. etc.
Posted on: Tue, 23 Dec 2014 05:22:43 +0000
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